Press for applying handle to containers



May 29,1962 l H. GRAY ET AL 3,636,371

PREss FOR APPLYING HANDLE To CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 6. 1960 9/\\\\\ F1 G.l. v lll/lllA \!\\v.\mg 15 INVENTQRS -HOMER' GRAY ANDREWS United StatesPatent C) 3,036,371 PRESS FR APPLYING HANDLE 'IO CONTAINERS Homer Gray,3206 Chipco Ave., and Fred 0. Andrews, 3215 22nd Ave., both of Tampa 5,Fla. Filed Jan. 6, 1960, Ser. No. S65 3 Claims. (Cl. 29-23S) Thisinvention relates to a device in the nature of a press for applyinghandles to containers.

In the dispensing of milk and other commodities in bottles or jugsholding a half gallon or more, it has become desirable to provide themwith a carrying handle. These handles are usually made of tough andrelatively stiff plastic. Under present conditions these are put on byfinger pressure after being soaked in warm water which renders themrelatively more pliable and slightly more elastic. This hand method ofapplying these rings is not only laborious, but slow, and hard on thethumbs and fingers.

Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide apress for applying handles of the type described to the neck portion ofcontainers in a rapid and elicient manner which not only considerablyspeeds up the application of the handles but also avoids difficultmanual manipulation of the handles during application.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle applier, in theform of a press, which handle has suspended therefrom a chuck comprisinga plurality of segments which receive a separable core on which the ringof the handle is placed so that the ends of the segments can push thering from the core onto and over a rib below the mouth of the neck.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the natureof the invention is better understood, the invention consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a detail view of the chuck with the core or ring holdingmember and the ring displacing segments shown in elevation.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view of the chuck illustrating how itis applied to the neck of the container.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 4 4 of FIGURE3.

FIGURE 5 is a detail view illust-rating the manner in which thecontainer can be carried after the handle has been applied.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several gures of the drawing.

Referring to FIGURE 1 it will be seen that the press includes a base 1for supporting the container C between the positioning side walls 2-2and the medial upright wall 3. The rear end of the base 1 is providedwith another upright wall 4 provided with a hinge 5 to which a lever 6is connected. This lever has an opening 7 which receives the upstandingportion S of the wall 3 to assist in guiding the lever in its upward anddownward movements. The lever has a handgrip portion 9 and is connectedby a spring 10 with the upper end of the member 8 thereby to normallyhold the lever elevated.

The chuck designated generally as D is pivotally suspended from theunderside of the body of the lever 6. For example, the upper portion ofthe chuck includes a base 11 bored to receive a pivot pin 12 supportedin the depending gears 13 on the handle. The lower side of the base 11is recessed as indicated at 14 to receive the pivots 15 of a pluralityof arcuate segments 16. The segments may be of rany suitable materialpreferably metal, and are held in their normal contracted position by anexternal annular coil type spring 17.

The innerA central portion of the base 11 is provided with a downwardlyprojecting boss 18 to which a coil spring 19 is connected. This springextends downwardly within the arcuate segments 16 and is intended toengage the upper end of a core 2t). This core is preferably offrusto-conical shape and its external surface is intended to receive thering R of the container handle H.

The lower end portion of the core 20 is provided with a socket 21 whichfits over the mouth 22 of the container the said mouth being disposedabove and spaced from a rib 23 on the container neck. It will,therefore, be understood that the socket fits over and receives themouth of the container and rests therein in a xed position as thesegments 16 descend.

The truste-conical core 20 may have a metal exterior, as shown, and isprovided internally with a nonmetallic portion such as wood, rubber, orsoft metal which will not damage the mouth of the bottle during thehandle `applying operation. It may be pointed out here that theinvention would ybe the same if the core or cone 20 was made of moldedor cast material which would serve the intended purpose.

The core 20 is separable from the lower end of the segments 16 so thatthe ring R o-f the handle H may be placed thereover.

After the ring R has been applied as shown in FIG- URES l and 4, thesmall end of the cone may be fitted between the segments with the lowerends of the latter in position to engage the ring R. The cone 20 beingplaced over the mouth 22 of the bottle, the next step is to move thelever 6 downwardly by manipulating the handle 9 against the force of thespring 10. As the chuck D moves downwardly against the ring, thesegments will expand `and push the ring down until it is placed behindthe rib 23 on the neck of the bottle.

It will be understood that the spring 19 has the effect of cushioningthe force applied to the segments 16 during the relative movementbetween said segments and the ring R as well as the core 20.

After the ring R of the handle H has been applied over the rib, thehandle 9 of the press may be released to the pull o-f spring 10 and thelever 6 will pull the segments -16 upwardly: the spring 19 will bereleased from its compressed state; and the core or cone 20 may then beremoved from the mouth of the bottle, and a new ring slipped thereonready to again receive the segments 16 to apply another ring and handleto another container.

We claim:

l. In a device of the character set forth for applying expandable handlerings below the neck bead of container mouths, including afrusto-conical member defining at its lower and larger end a recess toreceive the mouth of a container and an encircling flange to engage theneck bead thereof, a chuck including a base, a circular series ofsegmental chuck elements pivotally mounted on said base, Said elementsbeing engageable over said member to provide substantially continuousperipheral engagement by the lower ends of said elements with a handlering mounted on said member, external spring means restraining saidelements in contact with the surface of said member, a second springmeans within said chuck, restraining movement of said chuck downwardlyover said member and operable to assist in returning said chuck afterthe chuck has been moved `downwardly to force a ring from said memberand over said bead, and means for moving said chuck axially of saidmember against the tension of said second spring means to force acircular handle ring from said member over said bead.

2. In a device of the character set forth for applying expandable handlerings below the neck bead of container mouths, including aifrustc-conical member defining at its lower'and larger end a recess toreceive the mouth of a container and an encircling flange to engage theneck bead thereof, a chuck including an operating arm, a base pivotallymounted on said arm andV free to pivot independently of the pivotalmovement of said arm, a circular 4series of segmental chuck elementspivotally mounted on ysaid base, said elements being engageable oversaid member to provide substantially continuous peripheral engagement bythe lower ends of said elements with a handle ring mounted on saidmember, external spring means restraining said elements in contact withthe surface of said member, a second spring means within said chuck,restraining movement of said chuck downwardly over said member andoperable to assist in returning saidV chuck after the chuck has beenmoved downwardly to force -a ring Ifrom Said member and over said bead,and means -for moving said chuck axially of vsaid member vagainst thetension of said second spring means to force a circular handle ring fromsaid member over said bead.

3. In a device of the character set forth for applying expandable handlerings below the neck bead of container mouths, including afrusto-conical member defining at its lower and larger end a recess toreceive the mouth of a container and an encircling flange to engage theneck bead thereof, a chuck including an operating arm, a -b-asepivotally mounted on said arm and free to pivot independently of thepivotal movement of said arm, a circular seriesV of e segmental chuckelements pivotally mounted on said base, Said elements being engageableover said member to provide substantially continuous peripheralengagement by the lower ends of said elements with a handle ring mountedon said member, an external coil spring means encircling said elementsIfor restraining said elements in Contact with the surfaceof saidmember, Ia second spring means within said chuck, restraining movementof said chuck downwardly over said member and operable to assist inreturning said chuck after the chuck has been moved downwardly to forcea ring from said member androver said bead, and means for moving saidchuck axially ofV said member against the tension of said second springmeans to yforce a circular handle ring from said member over said bead.

References Cited in the iie of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,204,028 Johnson Nov. 7, 1916 1,525,765 Brenner Feb` 10, 1925 1,965,876Bettis July 10, 1934 2,263,690 Bradley Nov. 25, 1941 2,270,671 Hall Jan. 20, 1942 2,669,773 Price Feb. 23, 1954 2,954,603 Moberly Oct. 4,1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 584,290 Great Britain Jan. 10, 1947

